Access is key to crisis support

THE Sunshine Coast has excellent suicide prevention programs available, such as StandBy and Head High, but teenagers or schools and community groups need to access them independently.

An Education Queensland spokesman said state schools were encouraged to implement Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs for all age groups to safeguard against destructive behaviours, including self-harm and suicide.

The spokesman said schools also had access to support services, and students were provided with “critical incident debriefing and counselling in the event of a traumatic incident”.

Staff across Queensland were also being trained in an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training program.

“However, information about suicide itself is not routinely provided to students because evidence suggests that this may in fact be harmful, particularly for a small number of vulnerable or at risk young people,” he said.

Sunnykids CEO Chris Taylor said the government report highlighted the “contagion element” to suicide. He said the single most effective way of preventing this type of suicide is to have an effective therapeutic relationship.

“The difficulty is most therapeutic structures are not meeting the needs of the young person,” Mr Taylor said.

The Head High program, run by Sunnykids, provides a space for young people to get together with the support of a practitioner. It runs on the first Friday of the month at the CYMHS in Beach Road, Maroochydore.

It was founded by a group of young people who had lost loved ones to suicide. To attend the free session, contact Sunnykids 5479 0394.